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Mohamad Bazzi
Evolutionary Biologist (Ph.D)
I am a paleobiologist focused on developing and applying quantitative methods to investigate phenotypic diversity in vertebrate animals. I incorporate both high-dimensional morphometric techniques, computer vision, and interactive data visualization to reconstruct patterns of variation and co-variation. My academic research have been revolved around studying the origins of modern shark biodiversity, as well as the origins of shark morphological, behavioural, and ecological specializations. My research draws primarily on anatomical, fossil, and molecular data from across the shark crown group, and palaeontological evidence from its proximal stem.
Education
PhD. Candidate, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology
Uppsala University
Uppsala, Sweden
2021 - 2016
- Thesis: 100 million years of shark macroevolution: A morphometric dive into tooth shape diversity
- Supervisor: Professor Per E. Ahlberg
- Opponent: Professor Matt Friedman
- Committee members: Laura Porro, Göran Arnqvist, Gilles Cuny
M.S., Earth Sciences
Uppsala University
Uppsala, Sweden
2016 - 2014
B.S., Earth Sciences
Uppsala University
Uppsala, Sweden
2014 - 2010
Research Experience
Postdoctoral researcher
Stanford University
California, United States
2026 - 2024
- Host: Professor Jonathan Payne
Postdoctoral researcher
University of Zürich
Zürich, Switzerland
2022 - 2021
Visiting PhD student
University of New England (Campione Palaeobiology Lab)
Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
2019 - 2019
As an early career scientist, I aspire to improve my skills within a collaborative environment where I can learn from my peers
Industry Experience
Data Analyst
KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Stockholm, Sweden
2024 - 2022
Science substitute teacher
International English School
Uppsala, Sweden
2021 - 2021
- Upper middle school
Museum host
Museum of Evolution, Palaeontology and mineralogy
Uppsala, Sweden
2016 - 2012
Teaching Experience
Animal Structure and Function (UU-17505)
Department of Organismal Biology
Uppsala, Sweden
2021 - 2016
- B.Sc. Course
- TA and lectured
- Dissection Labs of Vertebrates
- Covered comparative biology and histology
Evolutionary Patterns (UU-17521)
Department of Organismal Biology
Uppsala, Sweden
2021 - 2017
- M.Sc. Course
- TA and lectured
- Topics covered from geometric morphometrics, multivariate statistics and R programming
- Lectures and computer morphometric labs using R
Origin and Evolution of the Vertebrates (UU-18705)
Department of Organismal Biology
Uppsala, Sweden
2021 - 2018
- M.Sc. Course
- TA and lectured
- Covered shark biology, ecology and evolution, geometric morphometrics, multivariate statistics and R programming
- Designed a series of lab practicals on geometric morphometrics, data visualization, and statistical design and reporting
Marine Megafauna in deep time (BIO263)
Paläontologisches Institut und Museum
Zürich, Switzerland
2021 - 2021
- B.Sc. Course
- Guest lecturer
- Covered biodiversity and evolution of cartilaginous fishes
Leadership Experience
Thesis Supervision
N/A
Sweden & Tunisia
2020 - 2017
- Johan Lilja (Undergraduate Thesis, co-supervised with Dr. Nicolas Campione)
- Jacob Wester (Undergraduate Thesis, co-supervised with Dr. Nicolas Campione)
- Holger Jacobson (Master-Level Directed Studies Course)
- Mohamed Messai (Master Thesis, co-supervised with Professor Ferid Dhahri)
Peer Supervision
N/A
Sweden
2017 - 2015
- Fredrik Söderblom (Undergraduate Thesis, 2015)
- Alexander Paxinos (Graduate, Master Thesis, 2017)
- Jeroen van Dijk (Master-Level Directed Studies Course, 2017)
Awards
Wallenberg Postdoctoral Fellowship
$140 000
Sweden
2023 - 2023
- Research grant
- Stanford University
Verification for collaboration program (VFS)
$26 567
Sweden
2022 - 2022
- Research grant
- Co-applicant
Newton International Fellowship
$82 820
United Kingdom
2022 - 2022
- Research grant (Declined)
- University of Oxford
E och KG Lennanders stipendium
$32 756
Sweden
2021 - 2021
- Research grant
Helge Ax:son Johnsons stiftelse
$2 075
Sweden
2021 - 2021
- Travel grant
Forschungskredit Postdoc Award
$84 397
Switzerland
2021 - 2021
- Research grant
Tullbergs f biol forskn
$9 827
Sweden
2020 - 2020
- Research grant
Johanssons, Inez
$9 135
Sweden
2020 - 2020
- Research grant
Department of Organismal Biology, UU
$1 092
Sweden
2019 - 2019
- Travel grant
Helge Ax:son Johnsons stiftelse
$2 074
Sweden
2019 - 2019
- Research grant
Anna Maria Lundin stipendium
$4 258
Sweden
2019 - 2019
- Travel grant
Johanssons, Inez
$10 373
Sweden
2019 - 2019
- Research grant
Helge Ax:son Johnsons stiftelse
$2 184
Sweden
2018 - 2018
- Travel grant
Johanssons, Inez
$8 189
Sweden
2018 - 2018
- Research grant
Anna Maria Lundin stipendium
$1 611
Sweden
2018 - 2018
- Travel grant
Kungliga Vetenskapsakademin, Stiftelsen J. A Letterstedts resestipendiefond, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
$2 839
Sweden
2017 - 2017
- Research grant
Johanssons, Inez
$10 574
Sweden
2017 - 2017
- Research grant
Helge Ax:son Johnsons stiftelse
$1 965
Sweden
2017 - 2017
- Travel grant
Bjurzons resestipendium
$1 083
Sweden
2016 - 2016
- Travel grant
Selected Press (About)
Lesson of the Day: ‘Decolonizing the Hunt for Dinosaurs and Other Fossils’
The New York Times
N/A
2021 - 2021
Oförklarad hajdöd för 19 miljoner år sedan oroar forskare
SVT Nyheter
N/A
2021 - 2021
- Story on shark extinction 19 million years ago (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaz3549)
Modern Shark Family Diversified After Dinosaur Killing Impact 66 Million Years Ago
International Business Times
N/A
2018 - 2018
Selected Press (By)
How fussy eating and changing environments led to the diversity of sharks today and spelled the end for megalodon
The Conversation
N/A
2021 - 2021
- Authored with Dr Nicolàs E. Campione
Mass extinction 66 million years ago paved the way for modern shark communities
ScienceNordic
N/A
2018 - 2018
- Authored with Professor Per Erik Ahlberg
Selected Publications
Austral polar plesiosaurs reveal environmental interplay in ancient marine reptile evolution
Under-Review (copy available upon request)
N/A
2024 - 2024
- Research article
- Benjamin P. Kear, Mohamad Bazzi, Nicolás E. Campione, Daniel Madzia, Sven Sachs, Johan Lindgren and Michael S. Y. Lee
Cold-adapted Cretaceous polar turtle reveals a trans-Antarctic radiation of stem testudines
Under-Review (copy available upon request)
N/A
2024 - 2024
- Research article
- Benjamin P. Kear, Márton Rabi, Martin Kundrát, Michael S. Y. Lee, Daniel Snitting, Peter Trussler, Mohamad Bazzi, Barbara E. Wagstaff, Dorris E. Seegets-Villiers, Thomas H. Rich, Patricia Vickers-Rich and Lesley Kool
A unique example of the Late Cretaceous horseshoe crab Tachypleus syriacus preserves transitional bromalites
Alcheringa
N/A
2024 - 2024
- Research article
- Russell D. C. Bicknell, Mohamad Bazzi, Carl Meling, Anastasia Rashkova, Madeline V. Pankowski, Mark Botton, Carmela Cuomo
The famous fish beds of Lebanon: the Upper Cretaceous Lagerstätten of Haqel, Hjoula, Nammoura, and Sahel Aalma
Geological Society, London, Special Publications
N/A
2024 - 2024
- Research article
- Hady George, Mohamad Bazzi, Tamara El Hossny, Nida Ashraf , Pierre Abi Saad, Thomas Clements
Cautionary tales on the use of proxies to estimate body size and form of extinct animals
Under-Review (copy available upon request)
N/A
2024 - 2024
- Research article
- Joel H. Gayford, Russell K. Engelman, Phillip C. Sternes, Wayne M. Itano, Mohamad Bazzi, Alberto Collareta, Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi, Kenshu Shimada
Endocast and Bony Labyrinth of a Devonian “Placoderm” Challenges Stem Gnathostome Phylogeny
Current Biology
N/A
2021 - 2021
- Research article
- You-an Zhu, Sam Giles, Gavin C. Young, Yuzhi Hu, Mohamad Bazzi, Per E. Ahlberg, Min Zhu and Jing Lu
Tooth morphology elucidates shark evolution across the end Cretaceous mass extinction
PLOS Biology
N/A
2021 - 2021
- Research article
- Mohamad Bazzi, Nicolás E. Campione, Per E. Ahlberg, Henning Blom and Benjamin P. Kear
Feeding ecology has shaped the evolution of modern sharks
Current Biology
N/A
2021 - 2021
- Research article
- Mohamad Bazzi, Nicolás E. Campione, Benjamin P. Kear, Catalina Pimiento and Per E. Ahlberg
Southern higher latitude lamniform sharks track mid Cretaceous environmental change
Gondwana Research
N/A
2021 - 2021
- Research article
- Mohamad Bazzi, Benjamin P. Kear and Mikael Siversson
Reassessment of a large lamniform shark from the Upper Cretaceous Santonian of Italy
Cretaceous Research
N/A
2019 - 2019
- Research article
- Gabriele Larocca Conte, Federico Fanti, Enrico Trevisani, Paolo Guaschi, Roberto Barbieri and Mohamad Bazzi
Static dental disparity and morphological turnover in sharks across the end Cretaceous mass extinction
Current Biology
N/A
2018 - 2018
- Research article
- Mohamad Bazzi, Benjamin P.Kear, Henning Blom, Per E . Ahlberg and Nicolás E. Campione
Late Cretaceous dinosaurian remains from the Kristianstad Basin of southern Sweden
Geological Society, London, Special Publications
N/A
2016 - 2016
- Book chapter
- Stephen F. Poropat, Elisabeth Einarsson, Johan Lindgren, Mohamad Bazzi, Clarence Lagerstam and Benjamin P. Kear
Peer Review Service
Peer Review Service
Journals
N/A
2023 - 2018
- Norwegian Journal of Geology
- Acta Palaeontologica Polonica
- Current Biology
- Paleobiology
- Alcheringa
- Earth System Science Data (ESSD)
- Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Invited Academic Talks
University of Arts, Crafts and Design
Stockholm, Sweden
N/A
2021 - 2021
- Host: Konstfack
- Artist talk with guests Bochra Taboubi and Dr. Mohamad Bazzi
University of New England, Armidale
New South Wales, Australia
N/A
2019 - 2019
- Host: Dr. Nicolás E. Campione
Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali
Bologna, Italy
N/A
2018 - 2018
- Host: Dr. Federico Fanti
Synergistic Activity
Darwin Day
Stockholm, Sweden
N/A
2019 - 2019
- Public Outreach
SciFest - the Science Festival (Uppsala University)
Uppsala, Sweden
N/A
2016 - 2016
- Public Outreach
Annual Earth Science Day (swe, Geologins Dag)
Uppsala, Sweden
N/A
2015 - 2012
- Public Outreach
Field Experience
Hakel, Byblos, Lebanon
Expedition leader
N/A
2023 - 2020
- Locality age: Cenomanian-Turonian, Cretaceous
- Three field seasons
Gafsa Basin, Tunisia
Expedition leader
N/A
2020 - 2020
- Locality age: Ypresian, Eocene
Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
Crew
N/A
2018 - 2017
- Locality age: Campanian, Late Cretaceous
Kalbarri, Western Australia
Crew
N/A
2017 - 2017
- Locality age: Albian-Cenomanian, Cretaceous
Åsen, Kristianstad Basin, Southern Sweden
Crew
N/A
2012 - 2011
- Locality age: Campanian, Cretaceous
Graphic Design
Software
- CorelDraw
- Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator
N/A
Ancillary Courses & Certificates
SQL for Data Analysis - Informationsbehandling med SQL
Nordic Forum for Information
Stockholm, Sweden
2023 - 2023
Academic Teacher Training Course
Uppsala University
Uppsala, Sweden
2019 - 2019
- 7.5 ECTS
Generalised linear (mixed) (GLMM), nonlinear (NLGLM) and general additive models (mixed) (GAMM)
PR Statistics
Glasgow, Scotland
2019 - 2019
- 3.0 ECTS
Scientific Writing
Uppsala University
Uppsala, Sweden
2017 - 2017
- 2.0 ECTS
Archeology
Uppsala University
Uppsala, Sweden
2011 - 2010
- 60 ECTS